Some wireless communication networks, such as the iDEN network owned and operated by Sprint Nextel Communications, Inc., can provide two different types of voice communications services, i.e., interconnect and dispatch. An interconnect communication is what is conventionally considered “cellular communications,” while a dispatch communication is commonly known as a walkie-talkie or push-to-talk (PTT) type of call such as Nextel's service identified by the trade name Direct Connect.
Dispatch calls can be private calls or group calls. A dispatch private call is between two dispatch stations and a dispatch group call is between more than two dispatch stations. A talk group is a number of different communication stations which can be joined into a single communication session by dialing a single call identifier (i.e., a predetermined group call) or by selecting a group of invitees and dialing a dispatch call (i.e., an ad hoc group call). Existing systems and interfaces provide only a limited set of data regarding dispatch group calls that does not meet many customer demands. The present invention overcomes the limitations of this small set of data.
Qualcomm Incorporated provides a dispatch communication service known as QChat for use in 3G CDMA networks, for example. QChat uses standard voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, in which voice information is sent in a digital form in data packets over IP-based data networks. QChat allows end users to set up ad hoc group calls from a handset. To make an ad hoc group call, a user selects all of the invitees from a user interface on the handset and presses a dispatch call button to initiate the call.
One problem with the current QChat system for providing in-call status is that the user must request participant status information. Without such a request, participant status will not be provided to participants in a group call. Another problem in the current QChat system is that only the originator of the group call and the current talker on the group call are indicated to the other participants. Thus, there is no indication of who the other participants in the group call are. Also, the group and participant status information are not updated during the group call in the current QChat system.